Verizon to critics: Stop calling us a monopoly [telecom]

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Netflix's "terminating access monopoly" claim is bogus, Verizon tells FCC.

by Jon Brodkin

Verizon today said it is "dispelling the myth" that it is a monopoly, responding to claims from Netflix and others that Verizon and other broadband providers have too much market power in the territories they operate in.

Netflix has argued that it had no choice but to pay Verizon, Comcast, and others for direct access to their networks because these big ISPs rarely compete against each other, giving each one control over large portions of the country. This is especially true in the cable market; Comcast has acknowledged that it's too expensive to compete against other cable companies, so incumbent providers avoid building in areas where other incumbents already exist.

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